UPDATE: Feb. 19, 7:55 p.m.
Interviews are underway with the finalists for the athletic director vacancy according to AU President Neil Kerwin’s chief-of-staff, David Taylor.
Interviews should conclude sometime later this week or early next week.
UPDATE: Feb. 9, 7:43 p.m.
The list of applicants has been narrowed down to the single digits, according to Hanson.
The first round of interviews is set for this coming week. If everything goes according to plan, Hanson said, the final candidates will have their interviews with Kerwin the week of Feb. 18.
Hanson would not say if the the new AD will be responsible for hiring a new women’s soccer coach after David Bucciero left AU in December.
Original story
AU has currently received over 100 applicants for become AU's next athletic director, according to Vice President for Campus Life Gail Hanson.
“We have some people looking at us from great schools,” said Hanson, who is chairing the search committee. “I’m optimistic we are going to come up with a great hire."
Hanson said she hopes that a new AD will be announced in the third week of February.
The applicant pool includes those who applied for the job online and those who were nominated by search firm Parker Executive Search. AU worked with Parker Executive in the hiring of AU’s previous athletic director, Keith Gill.
Once the application process closes, the committee and search firm will bring the candidate list down to ideally the single digits, Hanson said.
Those remaining on the list will come to campus for formal interviews. Following those interviews, AU President Neil Kerwin will select from two or three finalists.
Hanson emphasized that a key task for the new AD would be building on the success of Gill, specifically improving the facilities and athletes' continued success in the classroom.
“We want someone who has been affiliated with winning programs,” Hanson said. “Our student body likes to win.”
Gill left AU in December after six years to become the athletic director at the University of Richmond.
David Taylor, Kerwin's chief-of-staff, has been handling the day-to-day operations of the athletics department since Gill departed.
esaltzman@theeagleonline.com
